Norfolk State University Athletics

2017 (Junior)
Started all 11 games at wideout while also serving as the team’s primary kickoff return specialist for the third straight season … Was selected to the All-MEAC second team as kick returner and to the third team at receiver, becoming the first Spartan in the Division I era to be named All-MEAC at two different positions in the same year … Also selected NSU’s Offensive Player of the Year … Led the MEAC in all-purpose yards (1,392), kickoff return average (23.8) and kickoff return yards (714) … Tied for the MEAC lead with 60 receptions while ranking sixth with 629 receiving yards … Ranked 17th nationally with his 126.5 all-purpose yards per game … Ranked 25th nationally in kickoff return average and 31st in receptions … His 714 kickoff return yards are No. 2 in the NSU single-season record books, his 30 kickoff returns are No. 3 and his 23.8 average is No. 6 … The 1,392 all-purpose yards and 60 receptions are fourth-most for a single season in NSU history … Had seven receptions for 84 yards in the opener against Virginia State … Set a new school record with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown at James Madison, the longest in school history and NSU’s first kickoff return TD since 2008 … Had a career-high nine receptions for 55 yards in the win at Delaware State … Caught six passes for 70 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown reception, and also had a 48-yard kickoff return in the win over Florida A&M … Posted his first two 100-yard receiving games in back-to-back weeks … Made seven catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns against Hampton, scoring on TD receptions of 52 and 4 yards … Caught eight passes for a career-high 132 yards and two scores (42 and 58 yards) in the win at No. 25 N.C. Central … Earned MEAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance at NCCU … Also caught seven passes against Savannah State and eight at Howard.

2016 (Sophomore)
Played in every game and started 10 times (all but N.C. Central game) … Led NSU with 37 catches for 454 yards … Also caught two TD passes, tied for the most on the team … Ran 17 times for 78 yards on the year … Served as the team’s primary kickoff returner, averaging 22.1 yards on 27 returns … Led NSU with 1,130 all-purpose yards (102.7 ypg) … Ranked third in the MEAC in kick return average, fifth in all-purpose yards and 10^th in receptions per game (3.4) … Made three receptions for 70 yards in the win over Elizabeth City State … Posted season highs of eight catches for 94 yards and a touchdown (25-yarder) against N.C. Central … Also had 89 kickoff return yards in that game, totaling a season-high 183 all-purpose yards … Caught four passes for 78 yards, including a career-long 64-yarder, vs. Howard .. Had five receptions (26 yards) against N.C. A&T and seven (53 yards) against Morgan State … Also had a season-long 59-yard kickoff return in the win over MSU … Made three catches for 71 yards and also ran four times for 29 yards against South Carolina State.

2015 (Freshman)
Played in 10 games and started three times … Missed the Marshall game due to injury … Was fourth on the team with 21 receptions for 215 yards … Scored one touchdown … Led the team with 22 kickoff returns for 417 yards (19.0 average) … Also ran four times for nine yards … Finished the year with 641 all-purpose yards (64.1 ypg), tops on the team … Caught two passes in the season-opener at Rutgers … Made four catches for 40 yards in his first career start, at Bethune-Cookman … Followed that up with four receptions for 52 yards at North Carolina central … Had his best game of the year against South Carolina State, notching season highs with five catches for 76 yards … Scored on a 27-yard TD catch against SCSU … Had a season-long 46-yard kickoff return against North Carolina A&T … Had 103 kick return yards at N.C. Central and 102 at Bethune-Cookman, with five returns in each game.

High School
Lettered four years in football and four in track at Highland Springs … A first-team all-state, All-Metro and all-conference kick returner as a senior … Also named to the all-conference first team as a utility player and earned second-team accolades at running back … A two-star recruit according to ESPN.com and 247 Sports … Scored 20 total touchdowns as a senior, 10 rushing, six on kick/punt returns and four receiving … Ran for 714 yards on 85 carries and caught 14 passes for 297 yards in his final prep season … Amassed over 1,300 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior … Won four state track championships as a junior (55, 200 and 300 meters and 4x200 relay) … Was state outdoor runner-up in the 100 meters … Ranked sixth in the nation in the 55 meters as a junior … Personal-best high school times were 6.31 seconds in the 55m, 10.76 in the 100m and 21.87 in the 200m … High school football coach was Loren Johnson.

Personal
Marcus O. Taylor was born on Oct. 22, 1996 … Son of Marcus Taylor and Elicia Royal … Majoring in sociology.

Taylor’s Career Highs
Rec.: 9 (at Delaware State, 9-23-17)
Yards: 132 (at N.C. Central, 10-21-17)
Long Rec.: 64 (vs. Howard, 10-1-16)
TD: 2 (2x, last at N.C. Central, 10-21-17)
Rushes: 4 (2x, last at S.C. State, 11-12-16)
Rush. Yards: 29 (at S.C. State, 11-12-16)
Long Rush: 16 (at S.C. State)
Kick Returns: 7 (at James Madison, 9-16-17)
Kick Return Yards: 199 (at James Madison, 9-16-17)
Long Kick Return: 100 (at James Madison, 9-16-17)
KR TD: 1 (at James Madison, 9-16-17)